Mirabellgarten

Prince Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf von Thun (1687 - 1709) had the famous Mirabell Gardens remodelled in 1690 according to plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. They were redesigned around 1730 by Franz Anton Danreiter.

The Pegasus, designed by Kaspar Gras from Innsbruck (1661), was placed here in 1913 after having stood on Chapter Square, Mirabell Square, Makart Square and even in a museum (under a staircase). The 4 groups of figures around the fountain were sculpted by Ottavio Mosto (1690) and symbolize the 4 elements: Fire (Aeneas’ flight from Troy), Air (Hercules’ battle with Antaeus), Earth (Pluto, lord of the Underworld abducting Zeus’ daughter Persephone) and Water (Paris carrying off Helen, precipitating the Trojan War).